NOTABLOG MONTHLY ARCHIVES: 2002 - 2020

JULY 10, 2007

David Glenn, a Senior Reporter for The Chronicle of Higher Education, interviewed me via email for a series of articles on "Ayn Rand's Academic Legacy." The articles appear in the paper's July 13, 2007 issue, and are also available online to subscribers. Check out Glenn's blog post today, "Rand-o-rama," in which he provides links to the CHE series (and also mentions my work on the radical, noninterventionist aspects of Rand's perspective on U.S. foreign policy).

Readers will remember that I was interviewed back in 1999 by Jeff Sharlet of CHE (mentioned by Glenn in his blog post as well; see here and here) on the growth in Rand scholarship. While the most recent essays don't mention me by name, they allude to my 1995 book, Ayn Rand: The Russian Radical, and also mention The Journal of Ayn Rand Studies, of which I am a founding co-editor. (For nonsubscribers, a summary of the above references in Glenn's essays appears in my "About the Author" section. See here.)

Also noted at L&P.

JULY 08, 2007

Song of the Day: I'd Rather Be Blue Over You (Than Happy with Somebody Else), words and music by Fred Fisher and Billy Rose, was introduced by Fanny Brice in the 1928 film "My Man." Of course, Brice first became famous in the Ziegfeld Follies. Today is the one hundredth anniversary of the birth of the Ziegfeld Follies (hat tip to David Hinckley). Marking the centennial, "The Big Broadcast" is featured on New York's Fordham University radio station WFUV (90.7 FM) tonight, 8 p.m. to midnight! Listen to this recording of Fanny Brice (with the rarely heard introduction) and also an audio clip from the 1968 movie version of "Funny Girl," with Barbra Streisand.

JULY 05, 2007

Congratulations to Joey Chestnut, who set a world's record, scarfing down 66 hot dogs at the annual Nathan's Famous Coney Island Hot Dog Eating Competition.

Watching this on ESPN turned my stomach... I can only imagine what it did to Chestnut's! But seeing 30,000+ people crowd onto Surf Avenue and Stillwell Avenue, not ten minutes from my home... was terrific! Long live Coney Island!

Comments

Chris,

I love that your blog is mostly about uplifting things. It's not that I don't mind reading your take on the depressing state of American politics, but it's cool to have a break from that stuff.

You keep up those Songs of the Day!

( :

Posted by: Nick Manley | July 6, 2007 01:08 PM

Yeah, those songs will keep a comin', Nick; but when you least expect it, I promise that I will be bitching and complaining, swearing and screaming about the disgusting state of global politics. We're entering another period of futility for the American electorate... so stay tuned!

Posted by: Chris Matthew Sciabarra | August 3, 2007 08:24 PM

Song of the Day: Spirit, music, lyrics, and performance by Bauhaus, first appeared on the album, "The Sky's Gone Out" (audio clip at that link). A music video of the song is included on the video compilation, "Shadow of Light" (video clip on YouTube). But my favorite renditions, capped by the energetic performances of Peter Murphy, are those featured on "Gotham" (audio clip at that link) and the guitar-laced, percussive version from 1982 at the Old Vic, in London, featured under the title of "We Love Our Audience" on "Archive" (video clip on YouTube). "Shadow of Light" and "Archive" were coupled as a 2005 DVD release. "Strip your feet of lead my friend ... Lift your heart with soaring song ... Change the lows to highs ..." Happy anniversary, Sweetie!

JULY 04, 2007

On July 2, 2007, another musical voice was silenced: Beverly Sills died at the age of 78.

Just as wonderful as her voice was her humor and down-to-earth personality. She was a Brooklyn girl, after all.

Song of the Day: 1812 Overture, composed by Tchaikovsky, has no historical connection to Independence Day celebrations, but it is heard regularly on the Fourth of July. Listen to audio clips performed by the Philadelphia Orchestra, conducted by Eugene Ormandy and the Minnesota Orchestra, with commentary by Deems Taylor. Have a Happy and a Healthy Fourth!